★★★ @AuthorAKEvans and @GiveMeBooksPR #Broken
When a bad thing happens to a loved one, what is your first response? For Tarryn, it is sadness that morphs into anger and the need for vengeance. This is a good beginning and I'm thinking perhaps this is going to go the way of the movie - Peppermint. Within a couple of chapters, I learn that Tarryn is heading for a train wreck. One can only hope someone stops her foolishness. I nearly stopped the book at this point but I continued on. I'm glad I did because about halfway through the book, it turns around for me and the ending worked out well.
I'm not sure if people who feel they can be a vigilante have watched one too many Liam Neeson movies or they are TSTL. Tarryn is a little bit of both. She starts out well by finding a place to help her learn self-defense. The problem with this is that she is learning defense, not offense. She has zero law enforcement training. On top of it, she had absolutely no plans on what she would do once she found the top people who indirectly caused her sister to be hurt. Ms. Evans may have designed her specifically this way so that Royce from Harper Security Ops can step in and save her. I get it. I just don't respect her for her foolishness that could have gotten herself killed and others hurt. John Wick, she is not.
I get being so livid you want people to die. I get wanting to have the bad people penalized for hurting someone. I find it laughable that her lack of training, planning, and skills made her think she could do it. Once Royce is in the mix, the story gets better because our damsel in distress is convinced to let the professional handle the matter. Thank goodness! The romance between the two is sweet even if it isn't smooth. Once again, Tarryn's lack of maturity and thoughtfulness rears its head when she misconstrues a one-sided conversation overheard. I have to remind myself that Tarryn may be a business owner, but she's only about 27 or 29 in the book. She is raised in a sheltered life so her decision-making may not be spot on. Thank goodness for Royce who once again comes across as a perfect male who can communicate and resolve problems. Tarryn does redeem herself a bit at the end when her self-defense courses prove their worth.
The way the characters behaved in the story tended to pull me out of the story with a few eyebrow raises. The overall plot is good. The conflict is believable. For a new to me author, this was an enjoyable read. This romantic suspense is recommended to readers who like former military males taking control.
* I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
